The Agencia Española del Medicamento y Productos Sanitarios has ordered the withdrawal of several brands of suntan lotion because they fail to provide the protection that they claim.

They took this rapid action after they received a complaint from the Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (Consumer Rights Organisation), which had pointed out that seven out of fifteen suntan, face-cream products that had been analysed did not offer the protection from the sun that they claimed on the label. These tests were carried out by independent laboratories.

More specifically, there are five products whose SPF does not comply with their label (see list below). There is another that neither shows the real SPF nor provides the UVA protection claimed (Vichy Capital solei). Finally, Isdin Fotoprotector Fusion water Magic SPF 50 does comply with the SPF but fails on UVA protection.

* Nivea Sun Protección Facial Sensitive SPF 50: (Cesar) Lot/Nº 32032276
* Lancaster Sun Sensitive Oil-Free Milk Lotion SPF 50: (Cesar) Lot/Nº 3157
* Piz Buin Hydro Infusion Sun Gel Face Cream SPF 50: (Cesar) Lot/Nº1362V A
* Rituals Invisible Sun Protection Face Cream SPF 50+: (Cesar) Lot/Nº 0832913
* Vichy Capital Soleil Crème Onctueuse Protectrice SPF 50+: (Cesar) Lot/Nº 54X200
* Biotherm Waterlover Face Sunscreen SPF 50+: (Cesar) Lot/N  40X300

The Consumers Rights Organisation requests that product makers (Rituals, Vichy and Biotherm) reimburse customers and the case of the three other sun-creams customers who have purchased products corresponding to the affected lot numbers  be allowed to exchange them for ones of the correct SPF 50.

In the case of the seventh product, Isdin Fotoprotector, it was recommended that the company carried out its own analysis over the UVA protection quality and makes its own decision, which they did on the 10th of May, with which the AEMPS is satisfied and considers that no further action should be taken.

Note: SPF of 50 means that when used on the skin, it can protect the skin against the harmful effects of UVB rays for about 500 minutes and has the ability to block the penetration of UVB rays into the body up to 98%.

(News/Noticias: Spain)